Mayors Message -September 14, 2012

Now that school is back in session I wanted to take this opportunity to remind drivers to be aware of kids at bus stops and alert to stopped school buses. As the hours of daylight decrease it will become increasingly difficult to see the kids as they wait for the bus or walk to school. Keeping our kids safe is a top priority. I also thought it appropriate to highlight the Menands School District, (a portion of the residents in the Village of Menands are in the N. Colonie School District) better known as Menands School. Menands School has been in existence for over 140 years and presently serves 255 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school district pays tuition for an additional 120 Menands students to attend high school at Shaker High School, Watervliet High School or Tech Valley High School. The staff consists of 31 teachers, 14 non-instructional personnel, a superintendent, and a principal. A small school atmosphere, individual attention, a diverse student body, and community support are just some of the things that make Menands School unique. Generations of my own family have attended Menands School and professionally I have enjoyed working closely with Superintendent Kathy Meany and her staff. I wish the students and faculty of Menands School a safe and prosperous school year.
After almost six years absence and nearly a year of renovations, the doors of the Diner have re-opened. The Broadway Diner, (former Menands Diner) located at 563 Broadway, opened for business on September 4, 2012. Partners Jimmy Rallastos and Andy Tskalas, have over twenty-five years of experience in the restaurant business. They brought 20 new jobs into Menands, including a kitchen staff of 6 and wait staff of 14, and welcome new applications for employment. The Diner is open seven days a week from 7 AM until 11 PM and features daily breakfast, lunch and dinner specials, as well as a senior menu. There is ample parking in the resurfaced parking lot and easy access to the building with a newly installed handicap ramp near the entrance. The Village is grateful to the owners for bringing their business to Menands and we wish them great success in this new venture.
Another phase of infrastructure work began on Monday, September 10, 2012 in the Sage Hill/Sky Hollow area. This project will increase the size of the water mains and loop the system to increase the volume of water while improving fire protection. There will also be additional water valves installed to decrease the number of residents affected during hydrant flushing and other issues related to water flow. The project is expected to wrap up by December 1, 2012. The tentative schedule will be updated on our website @www.dev.menandsny.gov. After meeting with the residents living in the project area, they were encouraged to sign up for the First Call notification system, also located on our website, in an effort to keep them informed of any updates during construction in a timely manner. We realize this project may be inconvenient at times for some of the residents but the contractors will do their best to keep that to a minimum. We appreciate the patience and understanding from the homeowners as we update our system to better protect our Village.
The Village Staff continues to work hard on Economic Development and I look forward to sharing with you updates as existing businesses make the commitment to stay in Menands and new businesses, realizing the benefits of doing business in our Village, open their doors.
Until next time, Mayor Meg